


Your Childhood Home Is Just Powder White Bone

by scatteringmyashes



Category: Fire Emblem: Soen no Kiseki/Akatsuki no Megami | Fire Emblem Path of Radiance/Radiant Dawn
Genre: Domestic Fluff, F/M, Family Bonding, Gen, Healing, Light Angst, Post-Game(s), Tellius Week 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-23
Updated: 2020-08-23
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:20:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,854
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26067109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scatteringmyashes/pseuds/scatteringmyashes
Summary: Rafiel and Nailah return to Serenes to start a new life. It's not easy.****For Tellius Week Day One: Children/Community.
Relationships: Leanne & Rafiel (Fire Emblem), Leanne & Reyson (Fire Emblem), Minor or Background Relationship(s), Nailah/Rafiel (Fire Emblem), Rafiel & Reyson (Fire Emblem)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 38





	Your Childhood Home Is Just Powder White Bone

**Author's Note:**

> Kicking off Tellius Week with the bird family! I've got a few other fics planned, so I hope you enjoy.

The tree they pick is an old willow, bent with age and with roots that curl and twist in and out of the ground. He offers, softly one night while they stare up a star-spangled sky, to move to Gallia with her. 

_ So that you may be with your tribe,  _ Rafiel murmurs, because he knows how much his queen cares for them, even if she is not the queen anymore. 

_ And separate you from yours? Never, _ Nailah had replied. And that had been that. 

The tree has a small house at the base, more of a single room where they may rest and keep their things, because Nailah sleeps best on the ground and on some days Rafiel does not have the strength to ascend the ladder that leads to the nest they keep. The herons have always been a self-sufficient type, not needing much to roost in, and it feels… difficult to build anything grand. Not while the forest is still healing. 

Leanne lives with their father, Lorazieh, in the remnants of their childhood home. She is intent on restoring it and often drags the two of them into helping her when no one else is available. 

"Please let me know if it is too much," Rafiel says one day as they walk through the forest, hand in hand. 

Nailah laughs, startling a dove out of a tree. "Carrying some wood and stone is nothing, my love. Only let  _ me _ know if you require rest. Leanne is… energetic." 

"Yes," Rafiel replies. "She has always been like that." 

While they help, he sings and Leanne practices her modern speech by bossing Nailah around. Lorazieh sleeps. The hope that he will wake with three children present has faded. It is not in Rafiel's nature to be bitter, but after everything that has happened — well, he tries to be content with the family that has survived. 

Speaking of siblings, Reyson has a tree of his own, not too far from the others. He does not spend much time there, travelling between Serenes Forest, Phoenicis, and Begnion as a diplomat. When he is in Serenes, Leanne is often by his side and the three siblings catch up on lost time. 

There is much to talk about and not enough words, but Rafiel is content to listen to Leanne pester Reyson about his health and whether he's treating Tibarn and Naesala well. 

When Naesala disappears to Daein, they all pretend that they agree with Leanne when she insists that he will be back soon. 

"Naesala is very silly," she says as she sweeps out the space that was Reyson's old room. Rafiel wonders if she thinks that making the space habitable will convince Reyson to spend more time with them. "He is hard to understand, but I know him. He will return with stories and, uh… things?" Leanne blinks, making a fist with one hand before flicking her fingers out. 

"Exploding things?" Reyson offers unhelpfully. He is sorting through burnt husks of books, trying in vain to salvage anything. It occurred to Rafiel, when this first started, that Reyson must not have stepped foot in Serenes since the Massacre. He cannot blame him. 

"No, no. Like… coins or sunlight or the river," Leanne explains. Her mastery over the Modern Tongue is expanding daily. While both brothers offer to speak Ancient with her, she insists on continuing her lessons. 

"Sparkles?" Rafiel suggests. Leanne nods. 

"Things sparkles," she echoes. Reyson corrects her grammar even as he pulls apart the remains of a tome. "Sparkle things. Naesala likes them." 

Rafiel shares a look with his brother. Neither of them say what they're thinking. 

"He does like bright things," Reyson agrees. "Leanne, do you think we should take a break for lunch?" And that's the end of that conversation.

****

Leanne asks first, one day while she and Rafiel are sitting out by the river that winds through Serenes. They’ve been healing some of the more damaged areas, the parts that were not fully cured by the galdr that was sung a few years ago. Much like the herons themselves, the forest heals slowly. The damage is too deep, so though the surface is pretty there’s still rot underneath. 

But this is not what Leanne asks about. No, she asks,

“When are you and Nailah going to have chicks?” 

Rafiel almost falls off the rock he's perched on. 

As he regains his balance, Leanne hides her smile behind a hand, though her eyes gleam too bright to be filled with anything but mirth. Rafiel can't be upset with her but he's still bright red. He tries to gather up his words, stammering his way through a haphazard thought as if he's barely a fledgling. 

"It is something good," Leanne tells him. "Serenes is quiet. More herons will fill with song." 

"We are not sure if Nailah and I can have children," Rafiel confesses, a sobering thought. Leanne waves a hand. 

"If you want it, it will happen." The saying seems to be something she picked up on her last jaunt to Begnion. It's not a trip the herons do often, but Leanne likes the outside world too much and Apostle Sanaki is always welcoming. "Rafiel does not want chicks?" Leanne wonders.

He shakes his head. "No, it is not that. I… I would, if I am fortunate enough to have them." He looks down at his hands. "Nailah would too. It is just… a big decision."

"A big decision," Leanne echoes. She tugs on a lock of hair. "What is so big?" 

"Not physically big, just… emotionally." Rafiel frowns. "It is something for big brothers to think about. Little sisters can worry about it when they are old enough for chicks." He considers that concept. "Which will not be for many, many years." 

Leanne laughs at him and promises she will not have chicks anytime soon. 

That night, as he and Nailah change into their nightclothes, Rafiel smacks his hip into the dresser. He bites his lip, tears watering in his eyes. Nailah appears by his side, hands gentle but firm on his shoulders. He finds himself sitting on the bed without noticing, black spots swimming in and out of his vision. 

"Breathe," Nailah murmurs, brushing his hair behind his ears. "You are safe with your queen." 

He nods, blinking rapidly and trying to just breathe through the pain.  _ It is a sorry state _ , he thinks,  _ when even the smallest of things can cause one to remember tragedy. _

But tonight is a good night and it's just an incident that will leave a bruise. Soon enough he is looking up at Nailah, who has masked her concern behind a carefully apathetic expression. Only, she is married to a heron and emotions are never hidden with them. 

Rafiel finds himself distracted from his pain as he takes in how beautiful Nailah looks at night. 

She doesn't sleep with much on, a holdover from the desert, but she does have a plain eyepatch and a tunic that falls over her breasts and stops midway past her thighs. It's a sharp contrast to the warm robes Rafiel dons, but she doesn't mind. She'd rather him be warm and healthy than the alternative.

"I love you," he says. Nailah smiles. 

"And I love you." She sits next to him, thigh warm against his. "You are distracted."

"Yes." He swallows. There's no consideration towards lying, just how he wants to phrase this. Reyson and Leanne have learnt to lie, but that is one thing Rafiel has never been able to do. "Leanne asked when we will have children." 

Nailah doesn't laugh, which is kind of her. "What did you say?" She asks instead. 

“I said we are not sure if we can even have them.” Rafiel plays with the hem of his sleeve, though he doesn’t look away from her. “It is a big decision. We would have to talk about it more, I am certain.” 

“Why?” Nailah leans back. Her tail curls back and forth. “Children come or they do not come. I would gladly carry your litter — or your brood, whichever we are destined with.” 

Rafiel frowns. “I — I just feel that there is so much that goes into raising children… I remember having many around to help care for me and my siblings. It takes a flock to raise a chick, as the saying goes.”

“And the pack watches over the young, but there is no requirement for a certain amount of members,” Nailah reminds him. “We have your sister and brother. I am certain that Volug would assist us as well.”

“I suppose so… Lehran could impart his wisdom as well…” 

Nailah’s tail stops moving. Rafiel tilts his head to one side. She does nothing to hide the scowl on her face.

“I do not like the idea of my pups being around that laguz.” She starts running her fingers through Rafiel’s hair, combing out snags and checking for any kind of dead ends. Rafiel gently takes one of her hands and kisses her fingers, then the back. “I know he is one of your elders, but the damage he has caused—”

“Our children will not be around anyone we cannot trust, I swear it.” Rafiel smiles. “We need to have them first, though, or this conversation is full of air.” 

“I thought that birds liked air,” Nailah teases, but her lips tug upwards as well and her tail starts to sway again. “I would like to have children with you. If that is tomorrow or next week or in many years, then I will wait. I cannot say I understand what your fears are, but I trust you. I trust your judgement.”

“You are kind, my queen.” 

“I am fortunate to have you as my mate.” Nailah kisses him. Her lips are chapped but her skin is smooth. “And if it takes us a while, well… I do not mind making love with you often.” 

Rafiel laughs and then kisses her again and then there is not much time for talk.

****

Reyson leaves for Phoenicis often. He makes the trip to and from the island enough times that Janaff and Ulki are more window dressing than real escorts. Tibarn doesn’t drop by much, so when he comes knocking on Rafiel’s tree it’s cause for concern.

“Is everything okay?” He asks, stepping out on the balcony. He’s aware he looks like quite the picture, swaddled up like a newborn despite it being the height of summer. Tibarn is polite and looks mildly chastised, as if he only just realized showing up out of the blue might be alarming. 

“Yes, everything’s fine.” Tibarn looks around. “Is Nailah here? Er, not like it matters. I just figured…” 

_ That I wouldn’t be apart from her or that she wouldn’t trust me alone? _ Rafiel just smiles. 

“She and Leanne are spending the day together. I think Leanne is happy to spend time with someone she isn’t related to.” Rafiel knows that Nailah doesn’t mind it, though he’s a bit worried that Leanne is too wild for her tastes. Considering the only heron she knew for years was Rafiel, she has a very specific concept of what herons should be like.

Goddess,  _ Rafiel _ has ideas of what herons should be like. Combining that with what he sees in his siblings is… interesting. 

“Good for them.” Tibarn drags his foot across the boards of the platform, his boot leaving a slight smear of mud. “I, uh, wanted to talk to you though.” 

“Certainly.” Rafiel gestures towards the nest. “Come in. I apologize for the mess. I have been… tired.”

Tibarn doesn’t make a comment about the blankets, clothes, and general disorder inside. The nest is what a beorc would call a house, except the organization is slightly different. There is no need for a kitchen when one is vegetarian and just eats what plants offer — there’s a firepit outside, small and rarely used — and there’s no bathroom since they just dispose of such things in a separate building altogether. The construction is also very simple. They could have asked for help, but they both agreed the fewer strangers in Serenes the better. 

Nailah had promised Rafiel a kingdom. She had built him a home. He would value that greater than any crown. 

“Is Reyson with you?” Rafiel asks, taking a seat on a cushion.

“No, he said I should talk to you alone about this.” Tibarn runs a hand through his hair, sitting heavily on the ground in front of Rafiel. He will never seem small — his wingspan alone is far greater than most — but Tibarn looks… Meak. As if he were a hatchling caught stealing worms from the fishers. “The combined Bird Tribe is currently staying on Phoenicis, but we do not have enough room or resources for this to be a permanent solution. I was… I was considering allowing some citizens to take up roost here, in Serenes, provided they followed the Ancient Laws.” 

Tibarn pauses, allowing Rafiel to consider the full implications and consequences of such a decision. It is also curious that he is asking Rafiel for his opinion, considering that Reyson is technically above him in hierarchy. Rafiel may be older, but he has no interest in such things. Still, politeness if not sheer tradition would dictate that Rafiel have a say in this, but…

“Does Reyson not agree?” 

“What? No, he is the one who suggested it.” Tibarn sighs. “He said that he’s worried about you two.” 

Rafiel nods slowly. “I suppose that it is odd, being somewhere so quiet.” He doesn’t say anything else for a long while. 

Though his fidgeting betrays his impatience, Tibarn isn’t rude enough to speak out of hand and waits. It’s really incredible, seeing how he’s changed in just a few, brief years. He wonders, privately, if it’s a consequence of courting Reyson but then tosses that idea out. If anything, Reyson would make one less patient.

No, no, ruling is good for Tibarn. The Bird Tribes — The Bird Tribe — is in good hands. 

“It would not be everyone,” Rafiel starts. 

“Of course not.” Tibarn straightens up. “Some of the hawks would rather pluck out their own feathers than not hunt, but there are many others who would jump at the chance to start over. And Serenes is fragile, but strong enough to support more life. Maybe we could get some folks to help clear out the rest of the ruins, but other than that, Serenes will remain untouched.” He’s eager and his voice is powerful, but Rafiel is married to Nailah and has ceased finding much terrifying after seeing the Goddess rise up out of stories and petrify the entire world. 

He inclines his head. “There are details to be discussed further, but Leanne will enjoy having more work to do. And I have missed hearing songs in Serenes’ branches.” 

Tibarn stands, dusting off his jacket. “Thank you, Rafiel. I’ll make sure that you’re consulted with every decision.” 

“Thank you.” Rafiel also stands, though he is slower about it. He follows Tibarn out of the nest, unsurprised that he doesn’t want to linger and not particularly offended by it. “And Tibarn?” 

“Yes?”

Rafiel smiles. “I am happy for you and Reyson. I know you will treat him as he deserves.”

For all his bluster and brashness, Tibarn still lets out a flustered laugh and scratches the back of his neck. There’s a flush that travels up his chest and colors his cheeks. 

  
“Of — Of course, Prince Rafiel.” 

“Have a safe flight.” Rafiel watches Tibarn leave. Once alone, he sighs and goes back inside. If Serenes is going to have new residents, he should at least tidy up his own home first. 

****

Rafiel discusses the matter with Leanne. She is, indeed, excited at the prospect of having more birds live in Serenes. Nailah huffs and tells him that it'll be an adjustment, but one she welcomes. 

"What will we do about the… ancient one?" She asks, glancing towards the part of the forest that leads away from the river, the least desirable part of Serenes. He doesn't have to ask who she's talking about.

"He will have to adjust. Most do not know he exists, after all. But he forfeit any right to the forest's rule when he…" Rafiel sighs. "When he attempted to destroy everyone on Tellius." 

Nailah nods. "Well, when our pups are born, it will be good for them to have others to play with." 

Rafiel almost drops the sheet he is folding. He winces, flexing his hand slowly as the pain spasms up and down his arm. Nailah is by his side, rubbing soft circles on his shoulder. 

"Do you need to rest?" She asks. He shakes his head. 

A moment of quiet passes over them, though it's never truly quiet in Serenes. There are bird calls and the rustle of wind in trees and the soft footsteps of wild animals. It has been several years since the war. For Rafiel, it still feels like it was yesterday. 

"You know I will be happy whether they are pups or chicks," Nailah reassures him.

"And I will as well," Rafiel promises. "I just — who would want someone as frail as I as their father? Even for a heron, I am… weak." He knows he was not always like this. He used to love flying. Now, it is almost cruel watching his siblings dance from branch to branch. 

"No." Nailah draws back if only so she can look into his eyes. Though her magical one is covered, she still manages to freeze him where he stands. "You are not weak. You are one of the strongest laguz I know. I would never marry someone weak. I would never mate with someone I did not think possessed the greatest strength." 

Rafiel laughs mirthlessly. "That is kind of you, my queen, but we both know that is not quite true. I cannot fight. I almost died several times just travelling to and from Hatari." 

"You know that is not the strength that I admire about you." Nailah nuzzles his throat, a soft white escaping her. "Please do not speak ill of yourself. It pains me, knowing you do not see what I see." 

"It is a struggle," he admits. "I will never stop being in awe of the fact that you chose me." 

"And I continue to choose you every day. I want to have a family with you, not someone else." 

The expression on Rafiel's face morphs into something more playful, despite the serious topic. 

"I thought you merely found me handsome without my robes." 

"Well, there is that." Nailah kisses him. Her lips are soft even though her hands are rough. Rafiel shivers as she carefully pulls on his wrists, tugging him away from their laundry. 

They make a bit more, but it's fine. Rafiel cannot care when he is breathless and in love. 

****

****

One day, while healing part of the forest, they come upon the remnants of a heron. Their bones are stark white, their clothing lost to the years, and their skull is smashed in but there is no question of whether this is beorc or laguz. 

Rafiel has seen the dead before. He's smelled blood and seen Nailah take her claws and rip through a man's armor, rending their insides with frightening intensity. He's been in the front lines where thunder and fire char fully grown wyverns and seen what a well-placed wind spell can do to his fellow laguz. 

He's always associated death with noise. It's odd to see it so quiet. 

"We should cremate them," Nailah says softly. Rafiel inclines his head. In that, the wolves of Hatari and herons of Serenes are the same. 

Leanne, in the Ancient Tongue, asks if Rafiel knows who this was. He shakes his head. 

They sing the galdr of mourning and Nailah constructs a pyre for the remains. The fire is carefully contained through their own magic and Nailah's experience with keeping things from burning in a desert. 

Rafiel's never personally stood by a pyre for someone he didn't know and the last time his robes turned grey from soot was in a much different experience. He tries to keep those thoughts out of his mind for Leanne, if no one else, and fails. 

She hugs him. 

"I am glad you are back," she murmurs. 

He wraps his arms around her and rests his head on top of hers. Nailah watches from the side, aware that they are in pain but this is their shared pain. She cannot save them from what has already happened. 

"I am happy we are together," Rafiel tells Leanne. 

That night, Nailah goes through and preens all of Rafiel's feathers. It's unnecessary but appreciated. Her fingers are careful as they detangle feathers and carefully extract death ones from the rest. He's tired, admittedly, but still awake enough to sit upright. 

When she's done, she kisses the back of his neck and murmurs,

"If they come for you again, I will kill them." 

Rafiel is not his brother, who thirsts after revenge. He is not his sister, who is naïve enough to think that it will never happen again. 

He nods and says, "I know." And that is good enough. 

****

Nailah announces that she is pregnant three weeks after the first hawk and raven families move into Serenes. 

She brings it up while she and Rafiel enjoy their morning tea. He almost drops his teacup in surprise. Her smile is wide and her heart is singing with hope and happiness. Rafiel has no words, just rises and embraces her, feathers and fabric fluttering around them. 

_ I love you,  _ he thinks. 

_ I love you,  _ comes the response. 

They kiss and hold each other and Rafiel spreads his wings, almost feeling as if he could fly. He cannot, but his emotions are still strong enough that he transforms into heron form in a wave of light. Nailah throws her head back and howls at the sun, jumping up and landing on four paws instead of feet. 

She barks at him, bounding back and forth in their treetop sanctuary. Her tail wags furiously, a rare display of emotion from someone usually stoic — then again, Rafiel knows his queen, knows her heart, and even if she were entirely still would know her joy. 

He spreads his wings as far as they go, singing the galdr of celebration. His voice carries through the trees and he knows that everyone in Serenes will hear, but he does not care. His passion cannot be contained and, though he cannot fly, he still can dance. 

So he does. He dances with Nailah. He dances with his wings and his feathers. He dances with a song on his beak and in his heart. He dances knowing that, no matter what they face in the future, they will make it through. 

****

The tree they picked was an old willow, with a small house at the base and a nest in the branches. And there they created a home and there they decided to raise a family. 

And all was well. 

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on [Twitter!](https://twitter.com/ashes8012)


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